Angkor Wat, Cambodia, under seige
The speed of construction and development could damage the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat.
In the frantic rush to build in Cambodia the lack of regulations is leading to the destrruction of the very thing tourists come to see, the heritage site at Angkor Wat
A frenzied spate of hotel construction is underway in Siem Reap to tap the flow of cash pouring into the area. In the course of just three years the town has gone from a sleepy settlement to a bustling metropolis filled with hotels, shopping malls, honky-tonk strips and vehicles.
Unregulated development is harming the very thing that visitors come to see - the magnificent site of Angkor Wat and the Rollus Temples. Hundreds of workers pour in from the countryside to work in the construction industry. Unrestricted pumping of underground water to meet the demands of these workers, and the increased visitors, has led to fears that the foundations of these magnificent temples may be undermined. Built during the 9th - 15th centuries at the height of the Khmer Empire, the complex is now a World Heritage Site.
There is no control over the hotels, most of whom are pumping up water for their own use. Coaches, mini-buses and cars are causing traffic jams and floodwater cannot drain from the roads because of clogged sewers. The air pollution and the risk of seepage of sewage into the rivers is a that the authorities will have to deal with very soon. Although the large hotels have their own sewage treatment plants, most guesthouses do not
Concerned governments in the area are urging the Cambodian authorities to exercise control over this. The World Bank has warned that the water being drawn from underground layers of rock and sand will seriously affect Angkor Wat.
The earnings of one-third of Cambodia’s workers are less than 56 US cents per day so tourism is a key moneymaker for the economy. Half of all visitors to Cambodia go to see the Angkor complex so any alteration to this famous site would be a disaster for a country emerging from extreme poverty.
See also Cambodian Islands
